On 1/1/2020……. I lost my mother, Sharon, due to Parkinson’s disease. I wanted to share my thoughts and ideas on tough topics in caregiving and send thoughts and prayers for others diagnosed and caregivers, so this BLOG was created in their memories.
The Tackling Tough Topics BLOG 30: Resilience: A Parkinson’s Advocate’s Journey in Memory of My Mother, Sharon
Resilience is not something I ever wanted to learn this deeply. It was forced upon me through loss—through watching my mother, Sharon, battle Parkinson’s disease with courage, grace, and strength until the very end. Becoming a Parkinson’s advocate was not a choice born from ambition; it was born from love, grief, and the refusal to let her story end with her passing.
Parkinson’s disease tests resilience in ways few can understand unless they have lived it. It is a slow, relentless disease that takes more than physical ability—it takes independence, confidence, and peace. I watched my mother face each stage with determination, even as her world became smaller. And I watched our family adapt, adjust, and endure alongside her. Resilience, I learned, is not about being unbreakable. It is about continuing forward even when you feel shattered.
When my mother passed, the silence was overwhelming. Advocacy became my way of surviving that silence. Grief could have consumed me—and at times, it nearly did—but resilience meant choosing to transform pain into purpose. Speaking her name, sharing her journey, and standing up for others battling Parkinson’s became acts of remembrance and resistance. In honoring her, I found strength I didn’t know I had.
Resilience as a Parkinson’s advocate means showing up on the hardest days. It means reliving loss while speaking to families newly diagnosed. It means carrying hope when others are exhausted and afraid. There are moments when the weight feels unbearable—when the disease feels bigger than progress, louder than science, and crueler than words can explain. Yet resilience is returning to the fight anyway, fueled by the belief that awareness and research will change the future.
My mother Sharon’s legacy lives in that fight. Her resilience taught me that dignity matters, even in illness. That kindness still matters, even when the body fails. That love remains powerful, even when a cure does not yet exist. I carry those lessons into every conversation, every initiative, and every effort to ensure no family feels alone in this journey.
Resilience does not mean the pain is gone. It means the pain has a direction. It means refusing to let Parkinson’s disease define the ending of my mother’s story—or the stories of millions worldwide. Advocacy, for me, is resilience in motion: a commitment to keep going when it would be easier to stop, to speak when silence feels safer, and to hope when hope feels fragile.
In memory of my mother Sharon, I stand resilient. Not because the road is easy, but because it matters. Until there is a cure for Parkinson’s disease, I will continue to fight—with her strength in my heart, her name on my lips, and her legacy guiding every step forward.
_____________________________________________
Want to share a Blog on a PD topic? Reach out to togetherforsharon@gmail.com
TogetherForSharon® In memory of my mother, Sharon to voice awareness & hope for a Parkinson’s Disease cure
Do you have a story to tell, a journey to share, or a blog you’d like to write?
We are always looking for writers, bloggers, and Parkinson’s advocates who want to team up and raise awareness together.
If you’re interested, please email us at togetherforsharon@gmail.com.
You can also explore our blog here:
https://togetherforsharon.com/parkinsons-blogs/
——————————————–
George’s Biography
Dr. George Ackerman is from Brooklyn, N.Y. He now resides in Florida and works in the fields of law, police, and education. George lost his mother, Sharon Riff Ackerman, on 1/1/2020 due to Parkinson’s Disease.
George wanted to honor his mother and continue to help in the Parkinson’s awareness cause, but he did not know how to bring about change. With my family, we started TogetherForSharon® to keep my mother, Sharon Riff Ackerman, ‘s memory alive and share the message of Parkinson’s Awareness and hope for a cure.
Today, https://www.togetherforsharon.com/ reaches thousands of individuals across the country to raise awareness of Parkinson’s disease. George currently interviews individuals throughout the Parkinson’s community, including various foundations, caregivers, and Parkinson’s warriors, to help share their stories and causes.